A new volcano update is being hosted by the Hawaiian Volcano
Observatory in collaboration with the Emergency Management Office of the
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

New USGS Report Describes Research Results of the Ongoing Eruption
of Kilauea

The 20-year period of nearly continuous eruption of Kilauea is the
volcano's longest since the famous lava-lake activity of the 19th
century. No rift-zone eruption in more than 600 years even comes close
to matching the duration and volume of activity of these past two
decades. Fortunately, such a landmark event came during a period of
remarkable technological advancements in volcano monitoring. When
the eruption began, the Global Positioning System (GPS) and the Geographic
Information System (GIS) were but glimmers on the horizon, broadband
seismology was in its infancy, and the correlation spectrometer (COSPEC),
used to measure SO2 flux, was still very young.

Now, all of these techniques are employed on a daily basis to track
the ongoing eruption and construct models about its behavior. The
12 chapters in this volume, written by present or past Hawaiian
Volcano Observatory staff members and close collaborators, celebrate
the growth of understanding that has resulted from research during
the past 20 years of Kilaueas eruption. The chapters of this
new report range widely in emphasis, subject matter, and scope,
but all present new concepts or important modifications of previous
ideasin some cases, ideas long held and cherished.

Bottom: Close view of skylight above lava tube for Mother's Day flow, located on southwest flank of
Pu`u `O`o. HVO scientists dubbed this the "cookie
monster" skylight. Edifice around skylight was
built by spatter tossed from lava in tube. This tube supplies
all lava downstream in Mother's Day flow.